Booking of return tickets In Maitree Express likely soon

Railways is planning to introduce soon the facility for booking of return tickets in Maitree Express, the passenger train plying between Kolkata and Dhaka.
Maitree Express is a bi-weekly passenger train.
Railway Minister Mallikarjun Kharge told a delegation of journalists from Bangladesh "steps are being taken to introduce the system of booking return tickets by Maitree Express".
India and Bangladesh had recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding on February 16, 2013 in Dhaka for construction of a new rail link between Akhaura (Bangladesh) and Agartala (India).
In order to improve trade through railways, he said "the two Railways are jointly working towards containerization of cargo and setting up suitable rail-linked Inland Container Depots to handle the cargo.

"A joint team has been set up comprising officials of Container Corporation of India, Bangladesh Railway and Indian High Commission in Dhaka to study all aspects of moving container trains between the two countries."

The Railway Minister said Bangladesh Railway has great potential to develop into the lifeline of transportation system and suggested introduction of container train service across the country.
"Freight traffic is the breadwinner of any railway. Bangladesh Railway may take measures to increase its freight traffic," he said.
Out of the 16 projects that have been included in the USD 800 million Indian Line of Credit to Bangladesh, 13 are railway projects amounting to USD 687.4 million. Projects include procurement of rolling stock and development of infrastructure.